Three men have been arrested following the discovery of a “sophisticated” cannabis farm in Lurgan.
Detectives from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch made the arrests and seized a large quantity of Class B controlled drugs following a search of a property in the Colane Road area of Lurgan on Tuesday, June 10.
Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney of the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch said – “This is the most sophisticated cannabis farm I have encountered.
“A substantial degree of engineering and investment has gone into the construction and concealment of this underground facility, which housed an estimated 800 – 1000 plants; however, this set-up is fundamentally dangerous and we have availed of the expertise of several partner agencies to make the site safe for officers to properly examine the scene and remove plants and equipment.
“We have arrested three men aged 69, 55 and 27 on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis.
“The 69-year-old was further arrested on suspicion of allowing premises to be used for the cultivation of cannabis.
“Our investigation into the organised crime gang responsible for this farm will continue beyond these arrests. The motivation of criminal gangs is, and always has been, one thing: greed. They will happily exploit vulnerable people with addiction and debt issues in order to fuel this greed. As a police service, we rely heavily on the support of the public and need people to come forward with any information they have relating to such criminality.”
Anyone with information about suspected drug-dealing in their area is encouraged to contact police on the non-emergency number 101.
You can also make a report to police online at www.psni.police.uk/report. Alternatively, information can also be given anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
